Warren Buffett respects Elon Musk as a "brilliant" and "talented" innovator who takes on "impossible" projects, though he has noted Musk sometimes overestimates himself. While admiring Musk's dedication to improving products, Buffett prefers to avoid competing with him and adheres to his own, lower-risk investing strategy.
Elon Musk and Buffett's Mutual Jabs
In 2022, Buffett praised Musk for Tesla's accomplishments, despite having passed on investing in the company. Musk, on the other hand, had earlier suggested that Buffett's image as a “kindly grandfather” was perhaps overstated.
Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's closest partner in business and life, passed away on November 28, 2023, just weeks before his 100th birthday.
There were rumblings recently about Warren Buffett buying Tesla stock, which turned out to be nothing more than an April Fools' joke. Tesla is not the type of stock that would be a fit for Buffett's portfolio based on both the industry it's in and its focus on artificial intelligence.
No, Elon Musk is significantly richer than Warren Buffett, consistently ranking among the world's wealthiest individuals, while Buffett, though incredibly wealthy and a top-10 billionaire, has a much smaller net worth, often attributed to his massive charitable giving and value investing strategy. Musk's fortune, primarily from Tesla, SpaceX, and X, is hundreds of billions, dwarfing Buffett's, but Buffett's wealth is considered less volatile due to diversification and consistent value investing.
We've been close friends for more than 25 years, and we have just as much fun together now as we did when we first met. In all that time we have never run out of things to talk about and laugh about.
Buffett views buying ConocoPhillips at high prices as a costly error. The investment in U.S. Air highlighted issues with capital-intensive business models. Skipping investment in Google was a missed opportunity for Buffett. Buffett acknowledges the acquisition of Dexter Shoes was a significant financial mistake.
Before embracing Donald Trump in 2024 election cycle, Musk was known to have supported Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and even Joe Biden in 2020. In 2014, Musk described himself politically as "half Democrat, half Republican" and "somewhere in the middle, socially liberal and fiscally conservative".
In July, Trump reacted to Musk and the proposed America Party by describing Musk as "off the rails" on Truth Social, while Musk criticized the Trump administration response on the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Elon Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$682 billion as of January 2026, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and $779 billion according to Forbes, primarily from his ownership stakes in SpaceX and Tesla.
Elon Musk is widely considered the closest person to becoming a trillionaire, with predictions suggesting he could reach that milestone within the next few years, especially if Tesla hits ambitious performance goals tied to a massive stock grant. Other contenders often mentioned include Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, with reports indicating several individuals might reach trillionaire status by 2035.
Warren Buffett's 8+8+8 Rule is a concept for a balanced life, suggesting dividing your day into three equal 8-hour segments: 8 hours for work, 8 hours for sleep, and 8 hours for yourself (personal growth, family, health). While it emphasizes smart work and rest for productivity, critics note real-life factors like commuting and chores can make perfect balance challenging, but the core idea promotes intentional time management for well-being and success.
Source Code runs from my childhood through the early days of Microsoft. My best friend Kent Evans died in a mountaineering accident when he was just 17 years old.
Warren Buffett's #1 rule of investing is famously simple and stark: "Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget Rule No. 1.". This principle emphasizes capital preservation and avoiding significant losses, suggesting that protecting your principal is more crucial for long-term wealth building than chasing high, risky returns. It means focusing on buying good businesses at fair prices, understanding what you invest in, and being disciplined to prevent large, permanent losses, even if it means missing out on some fast gains.
💰🚀 Through Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett owns 400 million Coca-Cola shares. That's $816 million a year — all from a $2.04 dividend per share. He calls it one of his best investments. Not just because of returns… but because of patience.
Tesla's valuation reflects market enthusiasm
It trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 307. Based on the valuation, it's certainly too late to buy shares. The market is extremely enthusiastic about the business.